Yapa is a culinary adventure that transports you to another world. A nomadic journey of experiences,
memories, and flavours, distilled on your plate.
Yapa
Restaurant & Bar
Milan, Italy
Completed: 2021
Creative lead:
Lambs and Lions in collaboration
with Annabell Kutucu
Collaborators:
Interior Curation & Styling:
Annabell Kutucu, Berlin
Photography:
Björn Ceder
www.ya-pa.com
@yapa_restaurant
Yapa is a new restaurant and bar located in the historic centre of Milan. Chef patron Matteo Pancetti cooked at some of the world’s best restaurants before returning to Italy to open his own place. Pancetti approached us to transform the compact site into a warm, intimate space that would convey his eclectic culinary influences and passion for travel. We opted for a subtle design that would reflect Pancetti’s commitment to quality, simplicity, and sustainability —
a neutral canvas that lets his precise culinary artistry take centre stage.
Humble but not austere, the space is an ode to tactile materiality where everything is in its rightful place. Intimate and understated, the atmosphere is an antidote to the traditional Milan scene. A restrained aesthetic, natural palette and muted lighting set the stage for spirited conversations around the table or at the bar. Framed stools are arranged squarely along the central counter, where guests can riff off the energy of the open kitchen. Angular tables and chairs define a neat grid, conveying a sense of order and harmony. The feeling is that everything has been designed with purpose - from the menu to your seat to the way the staff circulate in the space.
Like the ingredients in the kitchen, the raw materials are of the highest quality, treated with subtlety and respect to reveal their natural features.
Humble but not austere, the space is an ode to tactile materiality where everything is in its rightful place.
